Anyone have more news about the accident involving Sainz ?

5 injured people, all taken to hospital, 2 with choppers :(

Heard it on Belgian news, but no info on the usual websites.

SS11 and SS12 cancelled

Oh bollox, looks serious

From the SWRT website (hope I'm not infringing copyrights here):



Rally Of Great Britain
Organisers’ statement - 1510hrs 24th November
Event Bulletin
24 November 2001

Summary
We have received a report from the Network Q Rally of Great Britain rally office that there has been an incident in Special Stage 11 (Brechfa 2) involving Car No. 3 (Carlos Sainz/Luis Moya). The Stage was immediately stopped and cancelled.
The Medical Officer in attendance advises that there are 15 casualties involved. All medical facilities on the Stage and two Air Ambulances were deployed immediately.

Special Stage 12 (Trawscoed) has been cancelled and all cars are returning to the Service Area at Felindre.

Ford Motor Company have withdrawn Sainz and Moya from the Rally, due to the serious nature of the incident.



Damn :(

Noooo :( effin nasty. :(

I hope this is not as bad as it looks.

:(

/J

[Edited by SecretAgentMan - 11/24/2001 4:04:48 PM]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport/hi/english/in_depth/2001/world_rally_2001/newsid_1674000/1674265.stm

Apparently Sainz missed a 90 bend completely.Hit a marshalls car ,then ploughed into spectators.

I was on stages earlier today and the fog was bad. Where I was visability was about 40-50yards.

Personally I think we have been very lucky in the UK over the last few years. Although I dont know what happened today I am not surprised that something like this has happened.

The behaviour of some of the spectators leaves a lot to be desired.Why do they stand in such stupid places. They totally ignore marshalls advice. Some prat even knocked a car park attendent over in Margam this morning after refusing to pay to get in. These people we can do without.

Just watched the BBC news and its one of their headline stories. They havent mentioned the rally all week but report this. Just gives Joe public a bad impression of rallying which is sad.

Anyway I just hope all those injured are OK and recover soon enough
to be back spectating next year.

Chip.

Spectators ... normally I'd agree (I constantly see people standing in the zones that are specifically marked NO SPECTATORS ... oh well, probably that or bunjee jumping that gets them going I suppose. But in this case you say a marshall car was hit ? I'd suppose the marshalls would put their cars in a safe spot ?

About the media ... "world title fight between 2 UK guys and one already legendary Fin who will drive for a UK team next year" does not seem to cut it. Add some injured people and suddenly "we're talking".

Sad.

It's a shame:( the only coverage of the rally I've seen in the news is Colin crashing, Pannizzi being hit by a rock and Sainz's crash today:(

What must Joe public think of Rallying?

Evil......try www.rally-live.com

SS11 was not cancelled; all cars given the same time.
SS12 was cancelled.

Cheers

The cynics amongst us might read some spite into the BBC's coverage of the accident this afternoon after losing the coverage next year to Channel 4. The web site coverage includes the statement "off the road into a spectator area" and lists of injuries and fatalities over the last few years - it comes across as if they are trying to get the sport banned.

If the reports of Sainz going straight on at a 90 degree bend are right, there is no way this would have been a sanction spectator area, and the marshals (if they were doing their job) would have been warning people to move.

I was disgusted by the so-called marshalls yesterday - most were the dullest buttons in the box anyway, and just seem to think that wearing a yellow jacket was an excuse to stand with other marshall mates for a good chat and the best views of the cars.

The corner on which Tommi broke his suspension was pretty similar to the one that Colin rolled on ('cept it was left rather than right). Before the stage started there were 100 or so people on the outside of the bend. When the FIA Safety 4x4 came through, it stopped and told them to move to the inside, which they did. When it drove off some went staight back :rolleyes:, and as new spectators arrived, they also went to the outside - and what did the marshals do? Absolutely nothing.

And the marshalls prior to the 250yd section I was at (starting at, what was to us, a blind bend) had no whistles....

And when 40 or so people were round Tommi's car when he was trying to fix it, with the other cars going past about 8 ft away, what did the marshalls do. Nothing - I told one (yes, I probably shouldn't have been there either!) to take command and he still did bu66er all. The first bit of authority was from a 'sector official' who came along and shouted that if people didn't disperse the stage would be halted.

Sorry about the mini-rant, but watching WRC rallying IS dangerous and I didn't go to watch spectators getting hurt (or cars to have accidents - why do people cheer when they do?...but that's another rant).

From what I saw yesterday and what happened this afternoon, maybe something will change in the UK forests. But I doubt it. Grrrr

Not trying to be funny, but the news (hit me with a knackwurst and call me Sally, I don't remember which news) just said the marshall's car was indeed parked in the wrong spot ? :(

Oh well, a big big thanks to Carlos for his very humane reaction ... the bloke is gutted. Of course, my heart goes out to the injured, but just as much to the Ford dude.

Respect.

Theo

Good point Martin why do they cheer, I'm just thinking sh#t hope there OK. A dropped glass is not life threatening but why cheer large accidents.

I saw too many Marshalls and not enough Sheriffs. If anyone wants confirmation of how dumb a spot this was to stand in I have video of the straight with yellow jackets showing on the bend prior to the incident. We had to walk back past the scene and just knew it would be there.